dougherty



0a. 16, 1956 P. D cHERTY 2,767,132

WAX CAKE Original Filed March 20. 1952 Fig/ INVENTOR. PATRICK F. DOUGHERTY ATTORNEY Unite WAX cm Griginal application March 20, 1952, Serial No. 277,649. Divided and this application April 3, 1953, Serial No. 346,715.

3 Claims. (Cl. 196149) This invention relates to wax cakes and to a process for their preparation. More particularly, the invention relates to novel wax cakes designed to permit ready storing or shipping, and to a process for their manufacture.

In preparing wax for storage or shipment, it has been found convenient to have the wax in the form of a slab or cake. Such wax cakes have heretofore commonly been prepared by introducing molten wax into flat bottomed trays wherein the wax is solidified by cooling. The solid wax cakes are removed from the trays and are ready for storage or shipment. Wax cakes are usually stacked prior to storage or shipment for convenience in handling and conservation of space. Preparation of the wax cakes by the described method results in a serious disadvantage during normal handling of the cakes. On cooling from molten to solid form, wax contracts so that the resulting cake has a concave surface, i. e., the wax cake is thicker at the edges than at the middle. Since the concavity extends over the entire surface, the edges of the cake are in the form of a narrow ridge. On stacking such wax cakes, the Weight of wax cakes above a given cake is supported by the narrow ridge surrounding the concave surface thereof, and under this weight the ridges tend to break or chip away from the wax cake. This results in loss of e chipped wax, or at least in considerable difficulty in its recovery and use. This difliculty is especially serious where the wax cake is prepared to a predetermined weight, since the breakage causes a loss of wax and necessitates a redetermination of the weight of the broken cake prior to its use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a process for the preparation of wax cakes which do not chip or break when stacked. Another object is to provide wax cakes shaped to permit stacking without chipping or breaking. Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

It has now been found that the above and other difiiculties are obviated when the wax cakes are prepared so as to have a convex surface substantially parallel to the concave surface formed by cooling molten wax to solid form. The wax cakes of the present invention are prepared by solidifying molten wax in a tray having a concave bottom. The concavity of the tray bottom is designed so that the curvature of the surface of the wax imparted to the wax cake by the bottom is essentially the same as the curvature of the concave surface formed by contraction of the molten wax on cooling. By the expression concave surface, as used herein, is meant a surface that arches in toward the center of the wax cake, i. e., forms a hollow. By the expression convex surface, as used herein, is meant a surface that arches out from the center of the wax cake, i. e., forms a bulge. By the expression concave surface parallel to a convex surface, and expressions of similar import, as used herein, is meant that the concave surface and opposite convex surface are equally spaced apart at all adjacent points, i. e., parallel lines connecting adjacent points on the concave and convex surfaces, including a line connecting the centers of the two surfaces, are of equal length.

tates atent To illustrate the process of the present invention, molten wax is introduced into a pan having a concave bottom, the concavity of the pan bottom being designed so that the convex surface of the wax cake resulting from contact therewith will be parallel ot the concave surface formed by contraction of the wax on cooling. To obtain parallelism between the concave and convex surfaces, it is necessary that the pan be filled with molten wax to a point at least above the concave bottom to form a side, or surface, separating the concave and convex surfaces. The wax is solidified by cooling, which may be accomplished by permitting the wax-containing pans to stand at a temperature below the melting point of the wax, or by refrigeration such as by circulating cool air around the pans, or by partially immersing the pans in a liquid cooling medium. After solidification, the wax cakes are removed from the pan by any convenient means. On stacking the so-formed wax cakes, the concave surface of a given cake contacts in nested relation the convex surface of an adjacent cake and the convex surface of the given cake contacts in nested relation the concave surface of the other adjacent cake. When thus stacked, the entire surfaces of adjacent wax cakes are in contact. The weight of the stack is distributed over the entire surface of any given cake, and hence there is no tendency for any part of the cake to chip or break.

A structure which illustrates the wax cakes of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel wax cake with a portion of the cake cut away.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2.

Figure 3 is an end view of several wax cakes forming a stack, or partial stack, of cakes.

Numeral 1 shows a wax cake having concave surface 3 with the lowest point at the center of the surface. According to the present invention, the surface of cake 1 opposite concave surface 3 is convex in shape. The concavity and convexity of the respective surfaces are shown by the cut away portion of the cake. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation view of the novel wax cake taken along 22 of Figure 1, and shows concave surface 3 and convex surface 4. As above described, concave surface 3 is formed by contraction of the wax on solidifying from molten to solid form, which forms ridge 5 extending around and bounding concave surface 3. Convex surface 4 is formed by solidification of molten wax in a pan having a concave bottom. Also as above described, the curvature of the two surfaces is such that vertical lines drawn between adjacent points on the surfaces 3 and 4, including a line drawn between the centers of the surfaces, will be of equal length, as shown by double arrowed lines 6, all of which are of equal length.

Figure 3 shows cakes 8 through 11 in stacked relation. In a stack of the present wax cakes, the surface of each wax cake provides maximum area of contact with the contacting surfaces of adjacent wax cakes. Thus the entire surface of a given wax cake, rather than merely ridge 5, supports the weight of the wax cakes above the given cake.

Solid lines, e. g. lines 15 and 16, show the visible junction of adjacent cakes, while dotted lines, e. g. lines 12 and 14, show contact of the convex and concave surfaces of adjacent wax cakes as viewed along line 2-2 of Figure 1. Thus, 12 shows contact between the convex surface of cake 8 and the concave surface of cake 9, and 14 shows contact between the convex surface of cake 9 and the concave surface of cake 10. The concave and convex surfaces of the wax cakes, designed to provide maximum area of contact between the cakes, are thus adapted to receive in nested relation convex and concave surfaces, respectively, of adjacent wax cakes.

Waxes which may be employed in the present invention are illustrated .by petroleum waxes, su'ch as parafiin and usr a ntallia Waxes. blends thcr q and b ends. t e e f with minor quantities of other materials.

In general, it is advantageous to employ waxes which dstaqtstr a ly s tv st ts et cn iqueur sin t qprsssa a ake W s aqlsslihav e w h o th steak disfiri vte rt nt ms rtacewf conta t,

lhfi f l pfi uni i s- 19 s ni s $l5 t a v s xpe encedfwith wax cakes having a smaller area of contact between adjacent cakes. Hence there is less tendency for the wax cakes .of-the presentinvention to stick together than is experienced with wax cakes of conventional shapes.

The wax cakes of the present invention are preferably rectangular in shape, andhence are made in rectangular pans having concave bottoms. Another preferred shape is circular, in which case the cakes are made in round pans having eoncav'ebottoms; Wax cakes in other shapesrnay be prepared in accordance with the present invention.

As' above described, the concavity of'the pan bottom is is parallel to the concave surface formed by contraction 'off'the ,wax on cooling. Unless the amount, of contraction designedto impart a convex surface to the wax cakewhich 20 1. As an article of manufacture, a cake consisting essentially of wax having opposite concave and convex surfaces equally spaced apart at opposite points, the lowest point of the concave surface being at substantially the center thereof. V

2. As'an article of manufacture, a rectangular cake consisting essentially of wax having opposite concave and convex surfaces equally spaced apart at opposite points,

thelowest point of the concave surface being at substan- 'tially the center thereof.

3. As an article of manufacture, a round cake consist- 7 ing essentially of wax having opposite concave and convexsurfaces equally-spaced apart at opposite points, the

' lowest point ofthe concave surface being at substantially the center thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

330,659 7 1,670,689 Olmstead May 22, 1928. 2,099,213 Macomber -Q Nov. 16, 1937) 2 ,281,267 Chapman Apr. 29, 1942 2,588,812 Doughert'y Mar. 11, 1952' Ziegler Nov. i7, 188s- Published by Reinhold 

1. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A CAKE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WAX HAVING OPPOSITE CONCAVE AND CONVEX SURFACES EQUALLY SPACED APARRT AT OPPOSITE POINTS, THE LOWEST POINT OF THE CONCAVE SURFACE BEING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER THEREOF. 